Aviation Bloghttps://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog
AviationCV.comThu, 21 Mar 2019 12:31:10 +0000en-UShourly1JetBlue Pilots Raped Three Flight Attendants After Drugginghttps://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/jetblue-pilots-rape-three-flight-attendants
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:31:10 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8843JetBlue Pilots Raped Three Flight Attendants After Drugging Them A horrific event has emerged after the three victims sued the two First Officers on Monday. The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn accounts the horrible events that took place on the 9th of May, 2018. The three JetBlue flight attendants had a layover in Puerto Rico before […]

A horrific event has emerged after the three victims sued the two First Officers on Monday.

The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn accounts the horrible events that took place on the 9th of May, 2018.

The three JetBlue flight attendants had a layover in Puerto Rico before their flight on the 10th of May back to the mainland United States.

On the night of the incident, the three crew members met two JetBlue first officers on the beach, Eric Johnson and Dan Watson.

After finding out the pilots worked for JetBlue, the 5 of them went out to share some beers.

According to the lawsuit, the two men dropped drugs in the beers that the women were drinking. Subsequently, “the rest of night became a blur”, federal court papers note.

The group went back to the hotel, where the crew stayed overnight. One of the flight attendants, identified as Jane Doe 1, recalled that she “felt the influence of the drug that [Johnson] laced the beer with, and was unable to react to the situation, but was simply aware it was happening.”

The second crew member, identified as Jane Doe 2, became sick from the drugs. She began vomiting, so the pair of pilots “were turned off” by her sickness.

Reported but no action

The flight attendants felt “groggy and numb” the next morning on their flight towards Newark, New Jersey. When they realized what had happened, they were “stunned”, per court papers.

Jane Doe 1, one of the flight attendants, has reported that she contracted HPV from Eric Johnson.

The women reported the dreadful events to JetBlue, but according to sources, the airline did not take any action against the pilots.

JetBlue failed to take any action against the pilots

The three flight attendants are suing the pilots for $75.000 in damages individually. Additionally, the pilots will be liable for any attorney costs.

JetBlue has said that they look at “allegations of violent or inappropriate behavior very seriously and investigates such claims thoroughly.”

Similar incident

Shockingly, this is not the first time that this has happened in the aviation industry. Just last year, an Alaska Airlines First Officer sued the airline because a captain raped her. The victim, identified as Betty Pina sued the airline for also not taking any action against the predator.

Her situation is almost identical that the JetBlue flight attendants suffered. The captain drugged her drink and later dragged Betty to the hotel room.

]]>More shocking facts about the Boeing 737 MAX crasheshttps://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/shocking-facts-boeing-737max-crash
https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/shocking-facts-boeing-737max-crash#commentsWed, 20 Mar 2019 14:05:35 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8831More shocking facts about the Boeing 737 MAX crashes Recent reports have added more confusion, anger and disbelief about the two deadly Boeing 737 MAX accidents over the past 6 months. The Federal Aviation Authority and Boeing has come under a lot of scrutiny for their training and certification procedures. Pilots from various unions around […]

Recent reports have added more confusion, anger and disbelief about the two deadly Boeing 737 MAX accidents over the past 6 months.

The Federal Aviation Authority and Boeing has come under a lot of scrutiny for their training and certification procedures. Pilots from various unions around the United States have stated that nor Boeing nor the FAA have informed them properly about the dangers of MCAS.

Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System has been blamed for the Lion Air Flight JT610 fatal crash in October of 2018.

After the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 accident, Ethiopian authorities have found the black box of the Boeing 737 MAX. They delivered it to French aviation accident investigators. Subsequently, the Ethiopian Minister of Transport has said that initial data readings have indicated similarities between the two crashes.

So far, airlines and aviation authorities have grounded the Boeing 737 MAX 8s until further notice. People are questioning whether the jet will fly again.

Boeing 737 MAX Pilots trained on iPads

No, the subheading is not a joke. According to some reports that have emerged over the past few days, Boeing trained pilots on iPads to fly the new MAX.

Aviation authorities were already criticizing Boeing and FAA for their negligence regarding the release and certification of the Boeing 737 MAX variant. But these reports have taken cherry on top of the cake.

Boeing marketed the new MAX to airlines that it will save them a lot of money on maintenance and fuel. In addition, the new aircraft variant will also reduce costs on training pilots who already were licensed to fly the Boeing 737 NG variant.

Boeing made a point that the controls of the MAX are almost identical to the NG, thus pilots required minimal training to fly the MAX.

So, a few pilots have come out and talked about the so-called cost-cutting training program for the Boeing 737 MAX. Evidently, the training session was a one-hour theoretical lecture with an iPad on how to fly the MAX. Pilots did not step into the simulator to try their hand at the controls.

Boeing 737 Simulator

And what’s even grimmer is the fact that the theoretical lecture did not include any information about the MCAS. Flight manuals also lacked any information about the system, which investigators are claiming to be responsible for the deadly accidents.

And recent data recovered from the cockpit voice recorders from the Lion Air crash has revealed that pilots were panicking and searching for a way to fix the aircraft’s nose of pitching down because of the faulty Angle Of Attack sensors.

United States Transportation Department Investigating the FAA and Boeing

After airlines and aviation authorities around the world grounded the MAX 8 due to safety concerns, the United States was one of the last countries to do so.

But the certification process of the Boeing 737 MAX is raising even more questions.

Boeing was in a rush. As we mentioned in the article about whether Boeing is canceling the MAX, Airbus made headlines in the U.S. when American Airlines agreed to order the newest Airbus A320neo to refresh its narrow-body fleet. Previous to this, Boeing wanted to design a new jet to replace the 737. But the news shocked Boeing and the company had to take swift action, else it would lose a lot of money to Airbus.

Airbus A320neo pressured Boeing into the 737 MAX

So, they came up with the 737 MAX. Boeing took a very simple route. Take the successful 737, redesign it a bit and sell it to airlines before Airbus can secure more orders.

Still, the Seattle based aircraft manufacturer was in a scramble. It needed to design, build and get approval from the FAA for the new jet.

And the last part is where it gets very questionable. So, that is why the United States Department of Transportation has opened up an investigation about how the FAA approved the Boeing 737 MAX.

Time was the number one priority

As Boeing was in a rush, the FAA’s upper management pressured their safety engineers to let Boeing approve the new MAX themselves. To say the least, Boeing might be a little biased to approve Boeing aircraft.

But this was not something new, as FAA has complained about the lack of money and human resources over the years. So, in order not to strain themselves, the FAA increased Boeing’s authority to approve their aircraft.

Boeing 737 Factory

According to the Seattle Times, the certification process of the Boeing 737 MAX was taken to the next level. FAA constantly questioned their engineers whether they have taken up too many pointers in the certification checklist. FAA’s management wanted to increase the portion of how much Boeing would certify the aircraft.

When certifying the MAX, safety was not a top priority. Time was. Airbus was miles ahead on the A320neo and Boeing were desperate to catch up. FAA’s managers seemed like they also understood that time was a number one priority and would not review documents thoroughly.

And proof that time was a number one priority is that the FAA approved MCAS in the first place.

Boeing 737 MAX design flaws

Airbus definitely complicated things for Boeing. They had to improvise quickly.

So, they did. To improve the fuel efficiency of their new jet, they not only introduced new winglets but Boeing also introduced new engines on the 737.

The CFM Leap-1B promised to be more efficient than the older CFM56-7B, which was on the 737NG. And indeed it is more efficient. However, it is also much bigger. It weighs more and it is bigger in size.

CFM Leap-1B Engines

Because of its bigger size, Boeing had to change the mounting point of the engine. In short, they put them further forward and much higher on the wings. But the different mounting point made the Boeing 737 MAX prone to a stall. The engine positions on the wings forced the nose of the aircraft to go up.

But the further mounted engines were not the flaw. Nor was the bigger size. Boeing had to one-up Airbus somehow.

MCAS was the problem. The same software, which supposedly had to prevent the aircraft from stalling.

Dependence on a single sensor

We‘ve talked about how does the MCAS software work in this article, so we won‘t go into much detail. But to sum up, MCAS pushes down the nose automatically when the Angle Of Attack is too high.

But this is where the issues begin.

Boeing noted to the FAA that MCAS is limited to adjust the stabilizer by 0.6 degrees. However, after the Lion Air crash, Boeing distributed a manual on MCAS. The manual said that Boeing limited the adjustments of MCAS to 2.5 degrees.

Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX

The FAA engineers that worked to approve the Boeing 737 MAX were baffled. They hadn‘t seen such a number in the documents.

They were baffled once more when they realized that MCAS can trigger as many times as it sees fit, as the preliminary report of the Lion Air crash has showcased. So the pilots of the Lion Air Flight JT610 were essentially constantly fighting against the system to maintain proper airspeed and altitude. Unfortunately, as MCAS triggered 21 times, they could not keep up. As a result, they plunged into the sea with no survivors.

Yet this is not the end. The Boeing 737 MAX has 2 AoA sensors in the front of the aircraft, just below the pilot‘s windows. Even though it has 2, MCAS somehow relies on one sensor to determine the Angle Of Attack.

But if one of them fails and that sensor is the one which MCAS relies on, you‘re essentially doomed. It does not compare the readings to the other sensor. On the Lion Air Flight, the FDR showcased that the two AoA sensors showed a difference of 20 degrees.

The sensors failed on a previous flight

Multiple sources have indicated that on a previous day than the Lion Air Flight JT610 crash, the same airliner encountered the same issue. Because of a broken AoA sensor, MCAS pitched the nose of the aircraft down.

Angle Of Attack Sensors

However, on that flight, there was another pilot in the cockpit. The pilot was commuting to Jakarta on board. As the flight encountered issues, he helped the crew to disable the motors that were pitching the nose down.

But to be fair and to state every fact, the Indonesian Safety Committee has also indicated that the reported failures were not properly attended by the engineers on the ground.

Still grounded

As various reports surface, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is still grounded by aviation authorities around the world. Boeing has promised a quick software fix to the systems of the 737, which airlines are still waiting for.

In addition, Boeing will also include a revised Flight manual and Crew Operations manual. Moreover, a new Quick Reference Handbook, Airplane Maintenance Manual and a new Interactive Fault Isolation Manual will be included.

The FAA has set the deadline for these changes. Boeing has to fix their systems by April of 2019. If not, the Boeing 737 MAX won’t have an airworthiness directive, meaning it cannot fly.

Grounded 737 MAX 8s

Airlines are cautiously optimistic though. For example, according to sources, Air Canada is grounding its fleet until July 1st, pending further development.

To sum up, a question remains: if the airlines begin to trust the Boeing 737 MAX again and start putting them on routes, will passengers follow suit? Passenger confidence can go a long way when speaking about the commercial success of an airliner.

]]>https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/shocking-facts-boeing-737max-crash/feed9Supersonic aircraft are not coming back.https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/supersonic-aircraft-not-coming-back
https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/supersonic-aircraft-not-coming-back#respondMon, 18 Mar 2019 15:38:31 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8821Supersonic aircraft are not coming back. A few weeks ago, on March 2nd, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Concorde first taking flight. The whole world was excited about the arrival of commercial supersonic transport. The newest jet promised to reduce flying times between various destinations more than double. Additionally, top of the line […]

A few weeks ago, on March 2nd, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Concorde first taking flight. The whole world was excited about the arrival of commercial supersonic transport. The newest jet promised to reduce flying times between various destinations more than double. Additionally, top of the line service and luxurious cabin promised passengers the experience of a lifetime.

But the hype did not last long, as airlines and Concorde developers realized that the supersonic jet had a lot of issues. Sure, it was reliable and had an excellent safety record apart from the fatal Air France Flight 4509 accident. But the economics of the Concorde was too much to handle. So, when the circumstances shifted after the Paris accident, the September 11th attacks and the subsequent drop-off in passengers, Air France and British Airways retired the Concorde.

However, over the past few years reports have emerged that various start-ups are promising that a 3-hour flight between New York and London is making a comeback. Airlines, namely Virgin Atlantic and Japan Airlines are investing in Boom Aviation, which promises to revolutionize air travel. Meanwhile, Boeing is partnering with Aerion Supersonic to create a very slick supersonic business jet.

Boom Aviation Supersonic Aircraft

Nevertheless, in this article post, we will argue why supersonic transport is not making a comeback. Firstly, we will take a look back at the past and why did airlines cancel the Concorde. Secondly, we will look into some of the flaws of a supersonic airliner that are almost impossible to overcome and thus draw a conclusion on why we won’t be breaching supersonic speeds anytime soon.

Waving goodbye to Concorde – Why?

So on November 26th, 2003 Concorde departed for its final flight from London Heathrow Airport to its resting home at Aerospace Bristol, an aerospace museum at Filton. Whenever someone asks why Concorde stopped flying across the Atlantic, the answer can be simplified into 5 pointers:

Air France Flight 4509 crash

Although previous to this the Concorde had 0 fatal accidents, the Paris crash discouraged passengers to travel on the supersonic jet. And with very tight profit margins, airlines simply could not afford to operate a Concorde at half capacity.

September 11th attacks

After the Air France Flight 4509 crash, aviation authorities grounded the supersonic aircraft to prevent any further loss of lives. As investigators concluded the reasons for the crash, Concorde’s manufacturers improved the jet’s safety for a price of £17m. Subsequently, Concorde returned to commercial service in November of 2001. However, just 2 months before, the September 11 attacks happened. As a result of the attacks, for a few years passenger numbers dropped drastically. This did not help Concorde, as it was already losing passengers because of the Air France Flight 4509 accident.

Economics of the Concorde

A return ticket from London’s Heathrow Airport to JFK in 2003 would start at £7405. To illustrate, British Airways concluded the last commercial Concorde flights on October 24th, 2003. If I was to book a return ticket from LHR to JFK with British Airways and I would return to London on the 24th of October, just 16 years later, I would pay £6437. Adjust the 2003 number for inflation and the Concorde ticket comes out to a jaw-dropping price of £11,500. That’s quite a difference for essentially save 4 hours on a flight. But the Concorde simply cannot compete against the first class cabin of a Boeing 747, the aircraft that British Airways operates on the route.

Airbus saying no

At the time Concorde retired, the supersonic jet was already 34 years old, if we were to count from the time that the revolutionary jet first took flight in 1969. While the technologies were ground-breaking at the time, as time went on, they became outdated. Even up until its last flights, every Concorde had 2 pilots and a flight engineer onboard, while every other airliner since the early 1980s did not have a need for a flight engineer, as computers and digital technologies eliminated the need for a flight engineer to be on an aircraft.

And the trend continued throughout the cockpit of Concorde – everything became too outdated. If the Air France Flight 4509 accident sparked the need for a £17m investment package, updating the systems on Concorde would have been much, much, much higher.

Apart from the need to update the aircraft, you also needed to maintain it. As the aircraft was old, maintaining it was a costly operation for airlines and the company that maintained it, which was Airbus. British Airways and Airbus could not come to an agreement for maintenance and production of spare parts for the aircraft, thus it was the final nail in the coffin.

Sonic Booms and overland flight ban

What is a Sonic Boom? In short, it is the result of an object moving faster than the speed of sound and leaving a trail of shock waves behind. These booms generate a lot of sound energy and when objects that create the sonic booms are very large, such as aircraft, they potentially can cause damage to ears, shatter windows or shift the structure of a building, although such cases are very rare.

As a result, the United States government banned over-land supersonic flights in 1973, meaning Concorde could operate on very limited routes.

But let’s get back to the point. There were 5 reasons why airlines retired Concorde from their fleets. But can we transfer those reasons to any new and upcoming supersonic aircraft, a business jet or not?

To be honest, the answer is not a simple yes or no. So, let’s break the reasons one by one and come to a conclusion.

Sonic booms – can the issue be solved?

First of all, let’s start with the easy part – the bans. According to a Reuters article, for now the U.S. over-land routes are going to remain banned. That might change when NASA releases a study on Sonic Booms by 2025.

Europe has also banned supersonic aircraft traveling over the continent. As of now, it has no plans to overturn that ban. The reason for that is that all the current supersonic startups are American, which means there is no European company to benefit if the European Union decides to overturn the ban.

But the companies which plan to build the newest supersonic jets are promising that they will be much quieter and sonic booms will not be a concern. Even NASA, partnered with Lockheed Martin, is building a quiet SST. Called the X-59 QueSST, the experimental aircraft aims to prove that overland flights with an SST are a possibility.

NASA X-59

Is this possible?

Yes. Well, you cannot completely eliminate a sonic boom. It will always be there. However, you can reduce it to a tolerable level. If Concorde’s sonic booms were between 100 and 110 decibels, NASA and Lockheed aim to reduce the sonic boom decibel levels to 75.

If NASA and Lockheed succeed, I can see the ban being overturned. One more advantage is that multiple corporations, not including NASA and Lockheed, are developing the airframe and aerodynamics of the new SST. Which means that these companies need to spend much less money than Britain and France when they developed the Concorde.

So, supersonic transport is off to a good start and my opinion might be wrong. But let’s continue exploring the possibilities.

Economics

However, to reduce the sonic boom noise, a lot of money has to go into the development of the aircraft. If the development costs go up, the end-price of a jet also goes up. This, in turn, means that airlines have to price tickets accordingly to recoup the high price of an aircraft.

Boom Supersonic, one of the manufacturers developing the next Concorde, promises their Overture jet will travel at Mach 2.2 and provide a business class experience like no other. It also promises to airlines game-changing profitability. Currently, Boom promises a 55-seat supersonic aircraft

Aerion is another manufacturer. They are developing the AS2, a business jet able to fly at Mach 1.4. The company promises to use the base of the AS2 to develop a bigger private jet and a small commercial airliner in the future.

Aerion AS2

And the last manufacturer, Spike is developing a quiet business supersonic jet, named the Spike S-512. Cruising speed is set at Mach 1.6. The S-512 will seat from 12 to 18 people, depending on the configuration.

And if you noticed something, there is one word that can describe the three jets – business.

But is that a correct decision? As passenger numbers break records every single year, so does the market share of LCC’s. Both airlines and passengers are starting to prioritize price rather than over-the-top comfort, that is why low-cost carriers are attracting more passengers.

The newest supersonic jets promise faster flights for business passengers. But market trends are shifting to cheaper prices, rather than comfort or speed. According to a European Union study of the air transport market, 18% of passengers chose to travel with low-cost carriers in 2015. Compared to 2014, that is an increase of 3%.

Small numbers?

Sure, those seem like small numbers. But they are steadily rising and the matter of the fact is that we are not going to see the supersonic jets in the air for at least 3 to 4 years. Even then, those will be just the first test flights and when you’re developing a jet, no matter subsonic or supersonic, there will always be delays. Add to the fact that NASA will release their sonic boom impact study only in 2025, I predict that there won’t be a supersonic jet that can fully operate everywhere for at least 10 years.

So, low-cost carriers will have even more time to capture a bigger portion of the market and transfer even more passengers.

Low-cost carriers like Ryanair are overtaking traditional airlines

Thus, we have to ask ourselves: are the newest supersonic jets already cornering themselves by aiming at a business-only audience? We do think so.

Anyhow, this is the first reason we think about why they won’t fly. If the demand is not there, what’s the point of providing the supply? Furthermore, even if there is demand, you have to consider that there are already many private jet manufacturers, even if they are subsonic. However, most of the newest jets can reach speeds of up to Mach 0.9, like the record-breaking Bombardier Global 7500. So, again, is there even enough demand to produce more business jets?

Efficiency

Another recent trend in the world of aviation is the word efficiency. Airlines want to save money on every cost possible, including fuel. That is why airlines are shying away from the fuel-guzzling aircraft like the Airbus A380. As a result, the manufacturer is forced to cancel the whole program.

British Airways Airbus A380

And the Concorde was a lot of things. However, it definitely was not an efficient aircraft. It used afterburners to break through the barrier of sound and afterburners are not an efficient solution. They consume a lot of fuel but do not add a lot of thrust.

Nevertheless, the newest developments in technology have not only allowed switching to materials like carbon fiber (Concorde primarily used aluminum) but use turbofan engines instead of turbojets to achieve supersonic speed. All of the above mentioned supersonic jets will use turbofans (Spike has not yet revealed their engine), avoiding the inefficient turbojet counterparts.

Aerion AS2 will use the GE Affinity Engine

But turbofans have a very specific window when they are the most efficient and because supersonic aircraft have to be very structurally sound, they also weight much more than a subsonic jet. Meaning that to cruise at supersonic speeds, the engines consume much more fuel compared to subsonic speeds.

Which again prompts a question whether there is a demand for new supersonic aircraft? If they are inefficient, I very highly doubt that airlines today or even in 4 to 5 years’ time would be interested in them. As fuel prices continue to rise, the demand for supersonic aircraft will fall drastically.

In conclusion…

Although I, just like anybody else would love to see the comeback of SSTs, I do not think it will happen.

At least under current circumstances of the market, when efficiency, fuel saving and low prices dictate the demand. If airlines are retiring such titans like the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747 and switching to the more efficient, double-engine Airbus A350 and 777 to decrease operating costs, there is just no room in the sky for jets with high operating costs.

As for the business jet market, there are already business jets comfortably reaching Mach 0.9. So why would you pay a lot of money just to fly a bit faster? Simply put, no. I do not think that the business market is open to the idea of supersonic jets. At least their wallets are not prepared.

]]>https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/supersonic-aircraft-not-coming-back/feed0The Top 10 Best Airlines Of 2019 Listhttps://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/10-best-airlines-of-2019
https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/10-best-airlines-of-2019#commentsFri, 15 Mar 2019 14:51:34 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8808The Top 10 Best Airlines Of 2019 Just recently we discussed the best airlines of 2018. These carriers provided the best customer experience last year. From the moment the passengers bought their tickets, stepped inside the airport, to the whole time they were in the sky – the best airline was Singapore Airlines in 2018. […]

Just recently we discussed the best airlines of 2018. These carriers provided the best customer experience last year. From the moment the passengers bought their tickets, stepped inside the airport, to the whole time they were in the sky – the best airline was Singapore Airlines in 2018. The South East Asian carrier claimed its record-equaling 4th best airline title.

So, as 2019 gets underway, we try to predict which airline will be on the top step of the Top 10 Airlines Of 2019 list! Without further-a-do, let’s count down the Top 10 list!

10. Swiss International Air Lines (2018: 12 )

Starting off the Top 10 Best Airlines of 2019 list is Swiss International Air Lines. Last year the airline was outside the top 10.

However, with introducing refurbished cabins to its fleet pillars, the wide-body Airbus A340s and Boeing 777s. The new cabin will refresh the passenger experience for Economy, Business and First Class passengers. The refurbished cabins introduce newer seats, a completely new in-flight entertainment with the internet and a new lighting system for the cabin.

Additionally, Swiss is part of the Lufthansa group. So, you know that the airline will offer only the best customer experience possible. And with Qantas stagnating while Thai Airways is suffering massive financial losses, this is the perfect opportunity for Swiss to break into the Top 10 Airlines Of 2019 list.

Refurbished Swiss International Air Lines Cabin

9. Garuda Indonesia (2018: 9 )

Although last year Garuda Indonesia climbed up one place, the competition is just too stiff at the Top 10. Simply put, it is hard to move forward, unless an airline presents something very radical and new for its passengers.

Nevertheless, Garuda Indonesia has introduced some new features. Namely, on Garuda’s long-haul routes to London. Economy class passengers can purchase Premium seats, which clears up the neighboring seat from any passengers, business class meals, a Wi-Fi voucher and some other added bonuses.

The 5-star airline keeps its rightful place in the Top 10, but for now, it is not moving forward.

8. Lufthansa (2018: 7 )

Almost an identical situation with Garuda Indonesia, Lufthansa has not introduced any new features. But Lufthansa has been showing very impressive passenger and financial numbers for 2018, so we expect the German carrier to introduce some new features for their customers.

But for now, the only European airline 5-star airline will not move that much forward. It stays in a fairly high place on the ranking just based on their excellent work throughout the past few years. Hopefully, we’ll be wrong by the end of the year though!

Lufthansa New Livery Boeing 747

7. Hainan Airlines (2018: 8 )

One of the biggest airlines in China, Hainan Airlines moves up a place in the Top 10 Airlines Of 2019 list.

Based on the island of Hainan, the airline has managed to become one of the most successful Chinese airlines. It is the only 5-star Chinese carrier. Additionally, Hainan Airlines introduces some new services for its customers for 2019.

A brand-new Premium VIP Check-in in their hubs in Beijing in Xi’an, a new lounge in Beijing’s Terminal 2 will allow their high-end passengers to redefine what it’s like to travel with Hainan.

Furthermore, the carrier is expanding its route network massively. New flights to Canada, Unites States and European destinations will allow the Chinese carrier to work their great passenger experience charm on fresh travelers. If their tendencies continue, we might see them rising even higher in the final list!

Hainan Airlines Kung Fu Panda Livery

6. Emirates (2018: 4 )

While Emirates is known for its excellent customer service, fancy flights and luxury, the Emirati carrier is struggling. With oil prices going up, currency prices fluctuating Emirates suffered declining profits.

First 6 months of the financial year of 2018 – 2019 put the carrier at a decrease of profits at a staggering 86%. However, it still made a profit. In general, the aviation industry in the Middle East is currently struggling, so the fact that Emirates is still profitable is very remarkable.

The former 4-time best airline of the year winner lands in the 6th place in the Best Airlines of 2019 list. Hopefully, the next part of the year will include some good news for the airline and it will come back to its former glory and climb the rankings.

Emirates aircraft at Dubai International Airport

5. Cathay Pacific (2018: 6 )

One of the oldest carriers on the list, Cathay Pacific is based in Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific has a very different situation compared to Emirates – while one is struggling, Cathay is reforming its operations and pursuing a profitable 2019.

So far so good, as the airline finally posted a profitable year in 2018 as a result of a reform plan announced in 2017. Furthermore, the airline from Hong Kong announced some new features last month. These include a redefined menu on-board and a new yoga center, which further adds to the already excellent customer experience for those who chose to fly with the airline.

However, this is a make it or break it year for the airline. As it finally turned a profit in its financial books, Cathay Pacific has a chance to further expand their passenger experience in 2019. If they do, I expect them to end up even higher on the Best Airlines of 2019 list at the end of the year.

4. EVA Air (2018: 5 )

The airline famous for its special Hello Kitty liveries, the airline is also renowned amongst its passengers for taking extra care of their passengers who fly on the airline. There is a reason why it‘s a 5-star rated airline.

And there is a reason why EVA moved up the top 5 this year.

The airline has some good news for its passengers, as it introduced new in-flight conveniences. The carrier partnered up with the fashion designer Jason Wu, premium brands Rimowa and Ferragamo to redefine their cabin experience.

These conveniences include new sleeping wear on long-haul flights, exclusive amenity kits, a redefined menu on routes from Taipei to some cities in the United States and new boarding refreshments. All of these new experiences are available only to Royal Laurel/Premium Laurel/Business Class passengers.

EVA Air Hello Kitty Airbus A320

3. Qatar Airways (2018: 2 )

Another airline from the Middle East, this time it is Qatar Airways. Also known for its luxury both on-board and in Qatar’s destination airports, like a fitness center in Hamad International Airport, the airline lands in the third spot for the Best Airlines of 2019 list.

However, while last year it could have competed head-to-head against Singapore Airlines for the first place, this year the situation won’t repeat itself. Even though the carrier has kept some excellent service standards, unfortunately, politics play a part.

Because of the Qatar diplomatic crisis, Qatar Airways cannot land from many Arab countries. Furthermore, many Arab countries disallowed Qatar-registered aircraft to pass over its airspace. Thus, jets from Qatar have to fly over Iran, which equals in high fees.

As a result of all these blockades, Qatar Airways has posted a loss in 2018. As a result of this loss, Qatar Airways dropped to the last step of the Top 3 Best Airlines of 2019.

Qatar Airways

2. All Nippon Airways (2018: 3 )

The Japanese carrier, which shortens its name to ANA, will have a perfect opportunity to be one of the best airlines in the world.

With Middle East airlines struggling financially and Airbus delivering ANA their first A380 Super Jumbo, the conditions might be just perfect.

In addition to this, the Japanese carrier is also making some moves in the passenger experience department. Namely, they revamped their lounges in airports, upgraded their in-flight services both internationally and domestically.

With the stars aligning perfectly, ANA lands at 2nd place in the list. If the stars move in the right direction, ANA might even cause an upset and climb one more step and reach the top. Will that be true? We’ll see!

All Nippon Airways Fleet

1. Singapore Airlines (2018: )

So, this carrier will be the best airline of 2019. Drum roll, please…

Oh, never mind. The heading already spoiled it!

Anyways, terrible jokes aside, we predict that the South East Asian carrier will claim first place again and continue from last year’s success. If they do become the best airline in the world, they will become the first carrier to win the award 5 times.

And we do believe that Singapore Airlines can do so. If ANA’s stars aligned perfectly, the conditions are even better for Singapore Airlines. The carrier not only provides probably the best service on-board with luxurious hotel rooms, but Singapore Changi Airport is also regarded as one of the best airports in the world.

Thus, there are no reasons for Singapore Airlines to reduce the quality of the experience when you step onto their planes. We do think the airline will continue their hard work and keep its first place for the second year in a row now.

With instability reaching new heights in Europe regarding Brexit, airlines were preparing for the worst case scenario. EasyJet set up their own subsidiary in Austria, while airlines registered outside the UK, namely Ryanair and Wizz Air, obtained AOC’s in Britain. If a no-deal Brexit goes through, the aviation industry could lose billions.

And Ryanair seems not to be worried about the whole ordeal. They decided to relaunch their Polish subsidiary Ryanair Sun and brand the airline as Buzz. The new rebranded airline will further expand Ryanair operations in Eastern Europe.

From a charter airline to its own entity

Ryanair Sun started out its life in 2017 as a charter airline, providing aircraft to various Polish tour operators. It did not provide any scheduled flights to passengers. The airline obtained a Polish AOC in the beginning of 2018 and began the summer season with 5 Boeing 737s.

Shortly after, Ryanair Sun began providing scheduled services under its parent company‘s name, Ryanair. As Ryanair Sun‘s operational scale grew, Ryanair decided to close down their own Polish bases. Ryanair Sun would take over the operations from the beginning of 2019. At this point, Ryanair Sun’s fleet grew to 17.

However, Ryanair incorporated some dodgy employment practices. When the company closed down their Polish bases, they told their pilots and cabin crew to become self-employed workers. This move was done to save more money.

For example, if a crew member got sick, the airline was not liable to pay them sick leave. Also, according to Polish law, people working under self-employment contracts cannot form into unions. In summary, Ryanair has done this to avoid the consequences of agreements they reached with their worker unions after they went on strike multiple times throughout 2017 and 2018. In other words, they want to save even more money on their employment expenses.

Ryanair Pilots Strikes canceled a lot of flights last year

On March 14th, 2019, Ryanair announced that they are rebranding Ryanair Sun into Buzz.

Buzz-ing

The airline will start Buzzing in the European skies in autumn of 2019. Including a completely new brand identity, the Polish airline will have its own website and mobile app.

Customers will be able to purchase both Ryanair and Buzz flight tickets on the new website and app. Buzz will continue to provide charter flights as well. Buzz’s CEO promised that the airline’s fleet will grow from 17 aircraft to 25 by the summer of 2019.

Buzz cabin

As I mentioned previously, the move to expand operations of Buzz is to grab a bigger slice of the Eastern Europe market. Juliusz Komorek, the Chairman of Buzz, expects “that Buzz will be Poland’s No.1 airline.”

Anyway, at least their branding is definitely very unique and looks absolutely fantastic. Definitely a candidate to join the list of the most beautiful airline liveries!

]]>Is Boeing Canceling the Boeing 737 MAX?https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/boeing-canceling-737-max
https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/boeing-canceling-737-max#commentsWed, 13 Mar 2019 14:57:54 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8792Is Boeing Canceling the Boeing 737 MAX? After the Ethiopian Flight ET302 crashed on Sunday, the whole world is still grieving the 157 victims of the disaster. However, this is the second deadly Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash in the span of fewer than 6 months. Back in October, a Lion Air MAX 8 plunged […]

After the Ethiopian Flight ET302 crashed on Sunday, the whole world is still grieving the 157 victims of the disaster.

However, this is the second deadly Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash in the span of fewer than 6 months. Back in October, a Lion Air MAX 8 plunged into the sea on flight JT 610. The two accidents have raised quite a few safety concerns about the newest Boeing 737 jet.

Subsequently, after the crash in Ethiopia, airlines and aviation authorities have grounded MAX 8 jets. In just three days, almost all of the global Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet is sitting parked on the ground, generating millions of losses for airlines.

But how did it come to this?

Let’s run through the recent events and eventually, answer the big question: is Boeing done with the 737 MAX?

Airbus forced Boeing into the MAX

The Boeing 737 is arguably one of the most popular commercial jets currently still flying in the skies. According to Boeing, the manufacturer has delivered 10.510 various variants of the 737. 376 of those deliveries is the Boeing 737 MAX model.

One of the first versions of the Boeing 737

Compared to the A320, the closest rival of the 737, Airbus has delivered a total of 8.674 A320s to airlines around the world.

Nevertheless, Boeing established the 737 replacement study in order to replace the popular narrow-body. Developed from the ground-breaking Boeing 707, the company realized that the jet has come to its limits. It needed to come up with a new design to compete with Airbus.

But Boeing did not want to re-design the wings, slap on a new engine and roll with it. The market asked for a new jet.

Or did it? Airbus proved Boeing wrong. It introduced the A320 with new engines and called it the Airbus A320neo (new engine option). Afterward, orders started to pour in. Surprisingly, American Airlines, which pretty much operated Boeing aircraft up to this point, also ordered quite a hefty number of the new A320neo. Airbus finally started to put a huge dent in Boeing’s hold of the market in the United States.

Boeing had to react. In order to save money and release the new jet faster, the company eventually had to re-engine the 737. The Boeing 737 MAX family was born and announced in 2011.

Equipped with new CFM International LEAP-1B engines, the aircraft promised an unprecedented level of fuel savings. Boeing said that the newest 737 generation will be 4% more efficient than the A320neo.

Coming out of the gate, Boeing also announced that they secured almost 500 orders for the newest jet. To be exact, 496 is the correct number.

Promises and small design changes

The 4% became a very important selling point for the manufacturer. Above all, Boeing promised airlines that they would not have to spend ridiculous amounts of money to train their pilots on the MAX. They are virtually the same as the previous generation of the 737, so a few hours of theoretical classes should be sufficient. Or so Boeing thought so.

As I mentioned before, 496 order commitments is a huge number. But to fit the new LEAP-1B engines, Boeing had to make some changes to the general design of the 737. To sum up the changes, Boeing added new split tip winglets, a new tail cone, revised APU and exhaust inlet. The Seattle based manufacturer also removed the aft-body vortex generators.

Boeing 737 MAX assembly

Additionally, Boeing included a higher nose gear and new display screens for the pilots. While these changes don’t seem to be very radical, their eventual impact would be very significant.

The new nose gear put up the aircraft’s nose higher than usual. With the new engines generating a lot more power, the nose went up even more. After conducting various tests, Boeing realized that their new jet is a bit too prone to encountering stalls in certain situations.

MCASS

So, to keep the handling characteristics the same as the previous 737 generation, Boeing installed MCAS on the new Boeing 737 MAX.

In order not to repeat ourselves, as we talked about MCAS right here, I’ll be short in explaining the system.

MCAS, an acronym for Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System is a software solution to prevent the Boeing 737 MAX from stalling. When the pilots have switched off the autopilot, the Angle of Attack is too high, the flaps are up and the aircraft is going through a steep turn, MCAS turns itself on.

The system shuts down when the AoA is normal again. Pilots can also reverse the system by manually taking over the controls.

However, you remember how I mentioned that one of the biggest selling points was that pilots would not require much training to switch to the MAX?

Yeah, that training did not include any information about MCAS. According to The New York Times, both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Authority decided that pilots did not need to know about the behavior when the aircraft has a higher-than-normal AoA.

While investigators are still studying the information about the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines disasters, a lot of fingers are pointed at Boeing, FAA and finally, MCAS.

It seems like the decision not to inform the pilots about the MCAS has backfired massively.

Similarities and Differences to the Comet

During all of these events, a lot of aviation experts and enthusiasts have compared the current Boeing 737 MAX situation to that of the de Havilland Comet.

In short, the Comet had a very huge design flaw. But before everyone found out about the flaws, everyone absolutely adored it. After multiple flight cycles of pressurization and depressurization, the fuselage of the Comet would start showing cracks. Eventually, the fuselage would pop open and disintegrate mid-air.

While the first few fatal crashes did not influence the public opinion that much at first, the South African Airways Flight 201 finally grounded the Comet. Eventually, it led to the downfall of de Havilland, the company that built the Comet.

de Havilland Comet

However, the difference is that Boeing has many other aircraft that bring in a profit. The 787, the soon-coming 777X and the regular 777, 767 and even the Boeing 747 has still many unfilled orders that Boeing will undoubtedly make a profit off.

On the other hand, a lot of people are angry at Boeing’s and the FAA’s antics. More than half of the global Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet is sitting on tarmacs idle, as authorities want to prevent any more disasters.

Except, of course, the FAA. The Canadian authorities also permit airlines to operate the Boeing 737 MAX. Boeing and FAA have released statements that there is no basis to ground the jet in North America.

Global Boeing 737 MAX 8 traffic from Flightradar24

But what does the future hold for the Boeing’s most popular jet?

Groundings and investigations

Boeing has promised a software update that will adjust the way MCAS behaves. But before that happens, I highly doubt the aircraft will come off the tarmac, at least for now.

Multiple similar accidents to the same aircraft type have not happened for quite some time now, so this is very unusual. Thus, airlines and aviation authorities are going to be very hesitant to allow the Boeing 737 MAX to fly until the investigators find out why does the 737 crash and the aircraft manufacturer can fix the design flaws.

However, the whole ordeal might cost a lot of money to Boeing. The company has already lost more than $35 billion in market capitalization since Sunday.

Airlines, namely Norwegian Air Shuttle, have come out and stated publicly that they will demand compensation for their 18 grounded MAX jets. More carriers are likely to follow Norwegian Air.

Norwegian Boeing 737 MAX 8

Nevertheless, it is too early to jump onto solid conclusions on why did the jet crash. Some have pointed out that the Lion Air 737 was not even in an airworthy state. Additionally, there are no preliminary reasons behind the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crash.

It’s just too early to jump on very radical conclusions.

So, to answer the question I raised in the beginning. Is Boeing canceling the Boeing 737 MAX?

It is very doubtful. The MAX 7, MAX 10 and MAX 200 are yet to enter commercial service. Furthermore, safety is everybody’s priority. Profit as well, so if it’s truly the fault of MCAS, I’m sure Boeing will be quick to fix their mistakes.

A truly disheartening event happened over the weekend. An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed shortly after taking off from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. The aircraft was en route to Nairobi, Kenya.

Considering this is the second fatal Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash in the span of 6 months, the aviation community is raising questions whether the MAX 8 variant is safe to operate. Although authorities are still investigating why the Lion Air 610 crashed, multiple people are suspecting that the MCAS of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is at fault for both fatal accidents.

Events on Flight ET302

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered ET-AVJ was late by 20 minutes to take off. Ethiopian Airlines schedules the flight ET302 to take off at 8:15 AM local time and arrive in Nairobi an hour and a half later, at 10:25 AM local time.

The aircraft took off at 08:38 AM. The 737 carried 149 passengers and 8 crew members on board. As soon as the flight ET302 took off, the captain of the aircraft reported an issue with the aircraft. Subsequently, the pilot requested permission from air traffic control to return to Addis Ababa.

As ATC allowed the aircraft to return, at 08:44 it completely disappeared from radars. It became clear that the Boeing 737 MAX 8 had crashed near the town of Bishoftu, around 60 kilometers from Addis Ababa.

Flight ET302 Path

Unfortunately, there were no survivors. All of the 157 people on board the aircraft have passed away. Many of the passengers on board the plane were traveling to the United Nations Environment Assembly session.

The captain and the first officer had 8000 and 200 flight hours respectively. The low hours of the first pilot have caused some concern as he would not be able to attain a commercial pilot’s license (CPL) in the United States because of the lack of hours. While previously you could attain a CPL with a low amount of flight hours, everything changed after the disaster of Flight 3407.

According to Reuters, witnesses reported that they saw white smoke and heard loud, rattling sounds as the Boeing 737 plunged into the ground.

One witness has noted that “It tried to climb but it failed and went down nose first. There was fire and white smoke which then turned black.”

Investigation underway

As soon as the news broke out about the crash, a lot of top officials around the world have expressed their condolences to the affected families.

The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority has started investigating the crash. The NTSB and FAA are going to help out the Ethiopian authorities to investigate the reason behind the Flight ET302 accident.

Boeing, the company that built the 737 MAX 8, has also released a statement that they will help out with the investigation. To illustrate, Boeing said that “A Boeing technical team will be traveling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the EAIB and NTSB.”

Good news is that investigators have already found both black boxes of the 737. The authorities investigating the crash are going to try to analyze the FDR and CVR data.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 Crash Site

Nevertheless, there are no conclusive findings on why the aircraft has crashed.

However, a lot of people are suspecting the MCAS system to be at fault for the Flight ET302 crash.

MCAS explained

As the Boeing 737 MAX 8 engines are in a different location than on a regular 737 and have a different shape, the handling of the jet has changed as well. The nose of the MAX 8 has a tendency of going up. Because of this, the aircraft is very prone to stalling in a different manner than usual.

So, to counteract the dangers of staling, Boeing has installed the MCAS system. But this is where the troubles begin.

After the Lion Air Flight 610 crash, Seattle Times has published an article that Boeing did not inform companies or pilots that they even installed the system. This means that pilots had no knowledge about MCAS and its processes.

So, what does the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System do?

Boeing 737 MAX 8 has a MCAS system on board

In short, it pushes the aircraft’s nose down to reduce the chances of the 737 stalling. That is done by moving the horizontal stabilizer trim up by a couple of degrees.

However, the system triggers only under certain, non-normal flight conditions, which are:

The AoA (angle of attack) is unusually high

Autopilot is disconnected

Flaps are up

The aircraft is in a steep turn.

MCAS then deactivates itself when the AoA is lowered or if pilots override the system with manual controls.

And although witnesses have noted that the plane made a very sharp turn, we still cannot draw a concrete conclusion as various aviation authorities have still not released any reports on why the Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed.

Boeing statement regarding MCAS

On March 11th, 2019, Boeing has released another statement regarding MCAS. In short, Boeing stated that they are releasing an update to the software. The update will make “an already safe aircraft even safer” and will change the flight control law, pilot displays, operational manuals and finally, crew training procedures.

The updates to the flight control law include changes to AoA inputs, reduces stabilizer trim commands under wrong AoA readings and limits stabilizer command to maintain elevator authority.

Boeing will update the software in every Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the coming weeks.

Fleet Grounding

Nonetheless, even if Boeing promises updates to every MAX aircraft, airlines are concerned. As we mentioned previously, this is the second fatal 737 MAX accident in a span of 6 months.

To illustrate, airlines have been operating the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft for just under 2 years. The aircraft made its maiden commercial flight in May of 2017 with Malindo Air.

In response to the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 and Lion Air Flight 601 crashes, national aviation authorities and airlines around the world have grounded the Boeing 737 MAX.

Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have banned the Boeing 737 MAX 8 from entering or leaving its airspace. Just now, the United Kingdom has also announced its banning the MAX 8 from landing or departing from British airports.

The FAA has deemed that there is not enough evidence to ground the aircraft in the United States.

UPDATE: As of March 14th, the FAA has grounded the Boeing 737 MAX. Every single one 737 MAX is on the ground right now.

China Southern Airlines is one of the biggest Boeing 737 MAX 8 operators

So far 26 airlines have grounder their MAX 8 aircraft, including Ethiopian Airlines. One of the biggest operators of the 737 variant, China Southern Airlines has grounded its 22 airplanes. In total, airlines around the world operate more than 350 Boeing 737 MAXs.

Lastly, we would like to express our condolences to families that were affected by the crash.

]]>https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/ethiopian-airlines-flight-et302-crash/feed16The First Licensed Woman Pilot – Raymonde de Larochehttps://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/raymonde-de-laroche-first-licensed-pilot
https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/raymonde-de-laroche-first-licensed-pilot#respondFri, 08 Mar 2019 12:43:51 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8772The First Licensed Woman Pilot – Raymonde de Laroche Today, on March 8th we celebrate the International Woman’s Day, celebrating the strength, resilience and beauty of every single woman around the world. However, coincidentally, 109 years ago one woman defied all odds and became the first licensed pilot ever. Her name – Raymonde de Laroche. […]

Today, on March 8th we celebrate the International Woman’s Day, celebrating the strength, resilience and beauty of every single woman around the world.

However, coincidentally, 109 years ago one woman defied all odds and became the first licensed pilot ever. Her name – Raymonde de Laroche.

To illustrate, this was a time when women could not legally vote in the United States. That changed in 1920.

Women in Canada could not be in the Senate, as they were not regarded as “persons”. The British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council allowed women to be in the Senate only in 1929. The world was a dark and grim place for women on earth. To some extent, it still is.

Nevertheless, no matter the difficult circumstances, Raymonde de Laroche gained her pilot’s license on March 8th, 1910.

From an actress to a pilot

She was born in 1882, in Paris, France. She had a fairly humble family – her father was a plumber by trade. As a child, Elise (her full birth name is Elise Raymonde Deroche, Raymonde de Laroche was her stage name.) had a keen eye for sports. When she grew older, motorcycles and automobiles attracted her attention as well.

As an adult, Elise became an actress and adopted the stage name of Raymonde de Laroche. When she became an actress, she started meeting various aviators and became very fascinated by aviation. The demonstrational flights in Paris by the Wright brothers in 1908 also had a lot of influence.

She approached Charles Voisin, a pilot and an airplane builder, and asked him to teach her how to fly. Raymonde de Laroche began her journey of becoming an aircraft pilot.

First flights

She started her flight training in October of 1909, in Chalons, some 140 kilometers east of Paris.

Because the Voisin‘s aircraft could seat only one person, Raymonde learned the controls while she was on the ground. She showed excellent progress and after she successfully taxied the aircraft around the airfield, she took off for her first flight. The distance of her first flight was not very long. She landed after 270 meters.

Elise Raymonde Laroche sitting in an aircraft

The calendar showed the date to be October 22nd, 1909. Subsequently, she became the first woman to pilot an aircraft. Although, that fact is widely debatable by aviation historians around the world. Some believe the first woman to pilot an aircraft is actually Therese Peltier, when she performed a solo flight in Turin, Italy in 1908.

The following day she returned to the airfield and completed another flight. This time it was a much longer flight, measuring 6 kilometers.

Raymonde de Laroche is officially a pilot

As she continued her flight training, great news followed.

On March 8th, 1910, the French Aero-Club officially issued an F.A.I. approved pilots license no. 36 to Raymonde de Laroche. She became the first woman with an official pilots license.

Raymonde de Laroche pilots license

The same year, she attended several airshows, called aviation meetings at the time.

The first one was Heliopolis, which happened just a month before Raymonde gained her pilot’s license. The Egyptian Aero Club organized the event and it was certified by F.A.I. Many sporting events were included in the 6-day meeting, namely rewards for highest speed, altitude and distance. Raymonde de Laroche won a prize, however, no sources are clear what for. She received 1.000 francs for first place in something for flying. (Nobody seems to know for what)

Meeting the Czar

Afterward, she attended an aviation meeting in St. Petersburg. The airshow in the at-the-time czarist russia presented a unique opportunity for Raymonde to meet the Czar, Nicholas II. Raymond de Laroche impressed Czar Nicholas II. She later remembered their encounter in Colliers Magazine:

“The Czar, who was present at this meeting, wished to congratulate me. He asked what my feelings had been, and I was able to assure him that his presence in the first place, and the houses and the landing ground, which was only 30 meters wide, in the second, had brought my heart into my mouth.”

Poster Advertising the Saint Petersburg aviation meeting

Later on, she attended another aviation meeting, this time in Budapest. Nothing eventful happened at the event.

However, Raymonde had a pretty scary moment in the next airshow, this time in Rouen. Heavy winds have forced the French pilot to land near the barriers that separated the airfield from the crowd. Elise later said, that if she were to stop the engine, “I should, without doubt, have fallen on the crowd. Happily, I had a little presence of mind left.”

Finally, Raymonde de Laroche attended the Reims airshow in a Voisin aircraft. She entered the competition for a women’s prize and unfortunately, suffered an almost fatal accident. The accident would leave her unable to fly for two years.

Raymonde’s crashed aircraft

Sadly enough, another accident followed her. She and Charles Voisin, the man who taught her how to fly, were driving near Lyon when their car crashed. Charles was killed on the spot, while Raymonde survived the crash.

Continuing her career

After recovering from the car and aircraft crashes, she began flying again in 1913. Arguably, this was the best year in her aviation career – she won Coupe Femina, a French award for female pilots. She won it with a then record-breaking flight of 323 kilometers, which unfortunately ended in mechanical failure. Fortunately, Elise was safe. She then went on to break another record, this time for the highest flight altitude. Raymonde de Laroche flew 4500 meters above the ground.

But her career came to a halt as a result of World War 1. All commercial aviation was stopped to focus on the war effort. Because of the dangers of war, the French Air Force prohibited women pilots from participating in the war.

Nevertheless, as her history tells us, she never shied away from any danger. She became a military driver, driving army officers from the back to the front trenches.

As The Great War ended, she resumed her flying career.

In early 1919, the broke another record – this time flying at a record altitude 4800 meters.

Death and legacy of Laroche

Unfortunately, her career had a very early ending.

On the 18th of July, 1919, Raymonde de Laroche went to an airfield at Le Crotoy. As she was a talented engineer as well, she wanted to become a test pilot and help aircraft manufacturers build better planes. She, together with one more pilot was testing an experimental aircraft.

As they were about to land, the aircraft went into a very steep dive and crashed into the ground. The crash resulted in two deaths – both the pilot and Raymonde de Laroche had passed away. Elise Raymonde Deroche passed away being 36 years old.

Nevertheless, even 100 years after her death, everyone, including people outside of aviation, celebrates her legacy. During the same week as March 8th, the whole world celebrates the Women of Aviation Worldwide Week. To commemorate Elise, there is a statue outside of Paris-Le Bourget Airport.

Raymonde de Laroche pawed the way for many women around the world to never forget one thing:

]]>https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/raymonde-de-laroche-first-licensed-pilot/feed0A New World Record Of The Longest Business Flighthttps://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/new-world-record-longest-business-flight
https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/new-world-record-longest-business-flight#commentsWed, 06 Mar 2019 13:46:40 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8766A New World Record Of The Longest Business Flight Recently the aviation industry witnessed a new world record. A Bombardier Global 7500 flew from Singapore Changi Airport to Tucson International Airport in Arizona, United States. The flight had a distance of 8.152 nautical miles (14.260 kilometers), flying from Singapore to Tucson with no stops between […]

Recently the aviation industry witnessed a new world record. A Bombardier Global 7500 flew from Singapore Changi Airport to Tucson International Airport in Arizona, United States.

The flight had a distance of 8.152 nautical miles (14.260 kilometers), flying from Singapore to Tucson with no stops between the two cities, making it the longest business flight ever!

Recently Introduced Global 7500

Bombardier just recently introduced the Global 7500 business jets into service.

The company announced the ultra-long-range business jet in 2010, with initial plans to introduce the Global 7500 in 2016.

Bombardier Global 7500 while under development

However, as always, the development of the new jet faced delays. Unlike Mitsubishi with the MRJ, this time Bombardier didn’t delay the jet 4 times and by 7 years. Just like with the MRJ, Bombardier decided to change the wing in 2015, which resulted in a shifting deadline. Bombardier announced that it would introduce the newest business jet in late 2018.

The Canadian aircraft manufacturer stuck to its promise and delivered it in December of 2018.

And just two months later after its first delivery and flight, the Global 7500 is going around breaking records.

Reserve fuel left on the longest business flight

The record-breaking longest business flight took off from Singapore Changi International Airport on the 4th of March, 2019 at 7:12 AM. As the sun was rising in Arizona, it landed at Tucson International Airport at 8:19 AM.

The best part about the longest business flight? The fact that the Global 7500 still had more than 4.000 pounds of fuel left, which equals to around an hour and a half of additional flying time. So there is still room to improve!

The Global 7500 would have to cover more than 6 hours of flight time to reach Newark from Tucson. That makes it impossible to equal the commercial flight record of Singapore Airlines.

The maximum cruising speed of the Bombardier jet is Mach 0.925. To illustrate, the now-canceled Airbus A380 has a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.825.

The business jet is not even supposed to travel this far. Yep, you read that right. Bombardier declares that the maximum range of the Global 7500 is 7.700 nautical miles (14.260 kilometers). On the longest business flight, the jet reached 8.152 nautical miles.

So, The longest business flight is between Singapore Changi International Airport and Tucson International Airport, which equals to 8.152 nautical miles or 14.260 kilometers.

]]>https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/new-world-record-longest-business-flight/feed3The Supermarine Spitfire Took Flight 83 years agohttps://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/supermarine-spitfire-took-flight-83-years
https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2019/supermarine-spitfire-took-flight-83-years#respondTue, 05 Mar 2019 13:52:22 +0000https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/?p=8752The Supermarine Spitfire Took Flight 84 years ago On this day in 1936, one of the most iconic fighters of all time took to the skies. The Supermarine Spitfire came to life. A fighter which completely changed the outlook of the RAF (Royal Air Force) with its unique and innovative design and helped Britain achieving […]

On this day in 1936, one of the most iconic fighters of all time took to the skies. The Supermarine Spitfire came to life.

A fighter which completely changed the outlook of the RAF (Royal Air Force) with its unique and innovative design and helped Britain achieving victory in the Battle Of Britain.

Subsequently, the Spitfire also conquered the hearts and minds of the British public. It became a symbol of the British war effort and the march towards victory over the Nazis in the skies of Europe.

To celebrate the magnificent fighter, we would like to present you with the Top 10 Facts About the Supermarine Spitfire!

1. The British public funded the Supermarine Spitfire

Well, to be fair, the British public partially funded the Spitfire. As the economy was still recovering from The Great Depression, Britain and the rest of the Allies wanted to avoid war at all costs. They simply could not afford another war effort, as the wounds were still healing from The Great War.

However, in 1940 the Battle of Britain started. The war came to the British soil and Britain desperately needed more fighters to counteract the bombing.

The British government set up a Spitfire fund. They put a price-tag of £5,000 for one Spitfire. This meant that if you donated £5,000, you basically donated a Spitfire to the RAF. Although the true price of the aircraft was much higher – about £13,000, the 5,000 had a nice ring to it. Compared to modern fighter jets, the price seems like just a bunch of change!

The RAF even published the price for every component of the fighter, just to appeal to the public more. And their efforts reaped in the rewards – in total the public raised about £13 million. Adjusted for inflation, that amount equals to about £650 million.

Spitfire Fund Badge

2. Britain produced over 20 thousand Spitfires

RAF says exactly 20,334. The second most-produced fighter aircraft by the Brits was the Hurricane – they built 14,533 Hurricane units.

It might be a reason why the Spitfire was so popular amongst the British public, as there was a lot of them in the skies.

The British government ended the production of the Spitfire in 1947, 12 years after it first touched the skies. Various sources state that there are more than 200 Spitfires are still intact. Around 50 are airworthy and are able to fly. Most of the Spitfires, airworthy or not, are stored all around the United Kingdom.

Spitfire Formation

3. Unique Elliptical Wings

Not many aircraft have used elliptical wings throughout history.

And not many of them have seen the scale of production that the Spitfire saw. Although various fighters and bombers throughout World War Two used elliptical wings, they were in the minority.

While the platform that Supermarine used to build the wings for the Spitfire had its disadvantages, especially in production stages, ultimately it provided exceptional performance in the air. At high altitudes, the Spitfire crowned itself the King of the skies. The wing also provided excellent maneuverability for the fighter. Pilots that flew the fighter complimented it for being a very elegant and agile aircraft, capable of handling its rivals easily.

Supermarine Spitfire Wings

4. Its Engines Would Cut out

The early versions of the fighter had a weakness when it performed a steep dive down. As the pilot controlled the aircraft to go down, the dive would force fuel out of the carburetor. This resulted in the engine stalling and losing all power. Alongside that issue, if a pilot would perform a dive for too long, the engine and the fuel pump would become flooded with fuel. Because of this, the engine would not start again.

Subsequently, if a Spitfire pilot was chasing an enemy, he could simply enter a dive and escape the British fighter. German aircraft used a fuel injection system, thus they could dive as much as they want, as long as the pilots could handle it physically.

RAF and its pilots realized this was a big problem, as the Spitfire was crucial alongside the Hurricane to secure the airspace over the British islands.

In 1941, an engineer named Beatrice Shilling came up with the solution. While it did not fix the engine cutting out, it prevented fuel from flooding the engine. A year later, a pressure carburetor completely fixed the issue.

Supermarine Spitfire Flying

5. Its main rival was the Bf 109

While the Hurricane was busy dealing with the bombers that approached British soil, the RAF tasked Spitfire squadrons to deal with their escort – the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.

The Luftwaffe believed their Bf’s would overcome the Spitfires easily. Apart from the major flaw mentioned above, the fighters were pretty much equal. These two would be constantly engaged in dogfights.

However, the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe operated differently. Unlike its British counterpart, the Luftwaffe did not offer any rest rotations for its fighter pilots. Furthermore, RAF trained its new recruits very strictly. As the Luftwaffe suffered massive losses during the Battle of Britain, it simply could not keep up and replace its fighter squadrons quickly enough. This resulted in a lower quality of pilots that sat in the cockpits of the Bf 109.

This proved vital for the record of the Spitfire.

Ultimately, even after years of upgrades, historians and aviation experts regard these two as equal fighters, owing to the fact, that the Germans did not stop upgrading the Bf 109 as well.

6. V12 POWER

That’s right – a V12 engine powered the fighter. Produced by Rolls-Royce, the V12 engine, dubbed the Merlin paired with a Supermarine Spitfire put out 1030 hp. The Spitfire used either the Merlin II or Merlin III variants. Listen to it roar:

Later versions, specifically the Mk.XII, MK.XIV and the MK.21/22/24 used a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine. It was also a V12! Different to the Merlin engines, the Griffon produced over 2000 hp.

The same engine, that started out its life in 1937 (as the Merlin G or Merlin II) produced double the horsepower by the end of the war. However, it was in a different aircraft, namely the de Havilland Hornet. That fighter used the Merlin 130 and Merlin 131 variants. Both of those engines pumped out 2060 horsepower.

7. A lot of designs

Over the years, British manufacturer produced 24 different marks of the Supermarine Spitfire. In other words, there were 24 different versions of the fighter. Supermarine delivered the last Spitfire Mk. 24 with a Griffon 61 engine.

In addition to the upgrades to the regular Spitfire, Supermarine also produced fighters equipped with cameras. The manufacturer placed them in the wings in the early variants but later placed them in the fuselage in the MK.XI and MK.XIX.

Moreover, the British manufacturer also produced the Seafire, a modified version of the Spitfire. The Seafire was built so that the Royal Navy could operate the fighter from aircraft carriers.

Supermarine Seafire

8. ******* Love Cannons

(If you understood the reference, bonus points to you!)

The first few Spitfire variants carried 8 Browning machine guns equipped with .303 rounds. However, as the war progressed, pilots raised their concerns that the machine guns could not penetrate thick armor of bigger aircraft, such as bombers.

RAF realized that the guns were ineffective. Something needed to change.

Thus, RAF introduced two 20 mm cannons on the fighters. The cannons replaced 4 machine guns, meaning the Spitfire now carried 2 cannons and 4 machine guns. While the cannons encountered issues at first, they proved to be very potent and practical.

20mm Hispano cannons on the Spitfire

9. Beerfire

As Allied troops landed in Normandy on D-Day, supplies would have to follow. However, transferring supplies over the channel proved to be a logistical challenge.

The British had a very big upper hand in the skies. Also, various British breweries provided free beer to troops stationed in Britain.

So, we combine the two… And get Spitfires carrying Beer over the English Channel. The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX had pylons to carry bombs or fuel tanks. But instead of bombs or more fuel, the fighters carried beer kegs to the troops in Normandy.

The beerfires even had their own designation – Mod XXX.

Supermarine Beerfire

Despite the British government stepping in and terminating the beer runs, unofficially they continued.

10. You can still fly one

Yes, you heard me right! You can still fly the iconic fighters. There are numerous flying centers offering us, regular plebeians, the chance to sit in a cockpit of the legendary Spitfire.

Prices usually start from £2.500 and can go way up to more than £10.000, depending on the offer you chose. Whatever the price might be – we can already tell you that it is worth it!

If you would like to truly pilot one, there is a flight academy in the United Kingdom that has a Spitfire Simulator.

To sum up, we thank every single pilot for flying the Supermarine Spitfire. Putting themselves in danger to protect the lives and goodwill of everyone around the world.

We thank the designer, R.J. Mitchell, who created this magnificent piece of design and engineering.

And hopefully, someday we will get a chance to fly on the wonderful piece that is the Spitfire.